In the Shadow of Bria
by Liz Skywalker
Summary: Before Yavin, Han learns a thing or two about Leia and the Alliance.


Story outline: Han Solo has a talk with Leia before they get to Yavin and finds out that she's not like Bria. 

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars. I don't make any money. Same thing as my other stories. Read them if you want a full disclaimer. 

In The Shadow Of Bria By Liz Skywalker (lizskywalker@hotmail.com) 

Han Solo sat back in his pilot's chair. That princess was so high and mighty, so self-righteous. He didn't feel anything for her, how could he? His life had gone from bad to worse in the past few weeks, first Jabba, then Bria, not this! And the only guarantee that he'd actually get his money was a rebel. Swell. Well, the kid wasn't so bad; he was good in a pinch. Maybe he could get Luke to stay on with him after he got back on Jabba's good side (figuratively speaking) and away from this flying death trap that was the rebellion. It was a doomed cause, wasn't it? 

"How much longer?" A voice came from behind him. Great. 

"An hour less that the last time you asked, you worshipfulness." Han wanted nothing more than to have the princess gone. It's not that he liked her, no way he liked her, but somehow he kinda hoped she'd stay. 

"You're sure you don't want to join us? We could always use a good pilot." Han rolled his eyes at her. They were being followed, he was in a bad mood, and she wanted to know if he'd like to commit suicide! 

"Lady, there's no way I'd join the rebellion. It's doomed anyway." And I don't want to get into the same situation I was in with Bria, he added silently. 

What do you have against us?" That was it! Han was out of his chair and on top of her. 

"What do I have against the rebellion?! The rebellion ruined my life, my reputation! They, you, took everything away form me!" And why in Sith was she still here?! 

"What are you talking about?" Now she was mad. Good, now they had one thing in common. 

"Ever heard of Bria Tharen?" 

"Of course. My aid even met her a few times. She was an escaped slave who devoted her life to the rebellion. She commanded Red Hand squadron and got the Death Star plans to my ship." 

Han started. He hadn't known that. It fueled his anger. The rational part of him yelled that he couldn't even remember what he was angry for, why get even madder, but he shut it out. 

"You killed Bria." He said calmly, deathly. "She died there. She DIED! And here you are, her killer, and you do nothing, you say nothing. You're bringing the things she died for and with them you're going to get more people killed. You're delivering more people to their deaths, not just Bria!" 

"And what was she to you!? You said you have nothing to do with the rebellion, yet here you are talking about one of its greatest heroes! Do you know that she shut down Ylesia's slave export and got a profit off of it, enough money to fuel the rebellion?" 

"At a price! There's always a price highness! And do you know what that price was? It was me! I rescued Bria from the slave mines and she deserted me. Ten years, ten years!, later she called on me to get me and my smuggling friends up to Ylesia. She promised she'd pay us, that we'd be reimbursed. We did all the work. She and her little band of Rebels were just along for the ride. We did the share, we put in the sweat! A good friend of mine was killed! But once she had what she wanted, she turned guns on us. She even stuck a blaster on me! The smugglers were real angry at me. Some of them lost their lives for no profit whatsoever and to knock it all off, the imps were mad at them too. I got no friends left and a couple of smuggler black marks against me, I'll bet. All because of Bria Tharen and your little rebellion!" Han was yelling. He caught himself and sat down in his chair and turned his back to her. But she didn't take the hint. 

"Okay, Solo. I hear what you're saying. But just remember, Bria was an oddity. I'm not Bria Tharen, most rebels are not Bria Tharen. Most rebels are political, like me, farm kids, like Luke, or people with prices on their heads, like YOU. But you are nothing but a coward, Han Solo. It's amazing that you have the gall to wear the blood stripe!" With that, she turned on her heal and left. Her words hurt more that he would have liked to admit. 

Days later, her words came back to him. He was like the rebels, but he was a coward so he wasn't. He'd show her! 

"Chewie, I've changed my mind. Let's go back." Goodbye Bria, he mentally called. 

And the rest is, as they say, history. 

THE END. 


End file.
